Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad Copycat

I was lucky enough to visit the Las Vegas location of Din Tai Fung during the first F1 weekend they brought it back. I realized as I was at this restaurant I was sitting next to Jean George and a culinary team having a meeting (Bucket list moment, I said hi and he was kind enough to give me a quick hello). Anyways, back to the cucumber salad. This was a highlight of the lunch as well as their soup dumplings. Such an easy dish and great as a summer side. 

Ingredients:

1 lb cucumber, Persian or English, cut into ½” thick rounds
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 tbsp chili oil
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds, optional garnish

1/2 tbsp kosher salt

 Directions:

1. Slice the cucumbers into 1/2 inch thick rounds and place into a bowl. Add the kosher salt and mix until salt is evenly coated. Allow this to sit in the bowl for 30 minutes so the salt can draw some of the moisture out of the cucumber.

2. While the cucumbers sit, make the sauce. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small container and whisk to combine.

3. After 30 minutes rinse off the cucumber with water until all the salt is removed. Place cucumber slices on a single layer onto a tea towel or linen. Roll up slices so all of the extra water is removed and the cucumber slices are dry.

4. Add dried cucumbers to a bowl and combine with sauce mix. Allow to marinate for about 10 minutes. The longer it marinates the less crunchy the cucumbers will get. Stack in a pyramid shape to copy Din Tai Fung’s plating and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and an extra drizzle of the marinade. Enjoy!